


An Eagle Perches On A Deer's Antlers

by ninian



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Character Death, Enemy Lovers, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, characters that are tagged have speaking roles so i tagged them, i don't know how to tag these uuuhh, minor lysithea/cyril
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 13:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20546903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninian/pseuds/ninian
Summary: She is the eagle that soars through the sky, and he is the arrow that shoots her down.( or, a boy falls hopelessly in love with a girl he will one day meet again as his enemy. )





	An Eagle Perches On A Deer's Antlers

**Author's Note:**

> boy howdy how about those rare pairs!
> 
> this got long, i'm really sorry. this is dedicated to all five of us who ship edelgard/claude. i have something happier planned for them but! i wanted to get this one out first.
> 
> mostly unbeta'd, i just checked for any grammatical and spelling issues. probably ooc too but u kno how it is, kids.

The Officer’s Academy is mostly a ghost town when Claude first arrives.

Considering the fact that the school year hasn’t even started, he’s not really all that surprised. But, since he was chosen to be a house leader, they requested his appearance some weeks before he’d meet his classmates ( housemates? the group of people he’d be stuck in a room with? ). Something about how it’s important for him to get to know the area before the other students arrive, because he _must _be a leader and be a good influence for people. 

Which, he totally can be. It’s just so amusing to him that they push away their suspicion of him long enough to make him do some dirty work.

Regardless of his personal feelings, the academy without people is eerie, though; it doesn’t scare him, but the atmosphere feels different than the bustling streets of the town leading to it. Things will change once there’s actually people around but as of now, he’s not really impressed.

And he’s not sure what he thinks of his rival house leaders either.

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is, without a doubt, the _driest_ person he’s ever met - and he’s not sure if that’s because the guy can barely taste anything or not. He’s a typical noble, all about chivalry and ‘honor’ and things like that. At the same time, though, there’s something about him that’s a little off. He’s not sure if the chivalrous attitude of his is a front for something sinister, but there’s something that’s weird about him, something insincere about his personality. Claude would know; he spent years studying people to see their true intentions and what not. 

He’ll have to keep a watchful eye on him. if only because he’s curious.

And while Dimitri seems to be boring ( outside of whatever his deal his ), there’s something about Edelgard von Hresvelg that intrigues him a little. She stands like any noble, speaks like them and carries herself like them, so there shouldn’t be anything outstanding about her.

But there _is_, that’s the thing.

He’s not sure, but there’s just something different about her, compared to the others he’s met here. While everyone seems to have buried themselves under the faith of the Goddess, Edelgard doesn’t seem all that concerned with it. Neither disrespectful - as she does join in the prayers recited with a smile - but she doesn’t seem to blindly follow it.

She’s a mystery, but luckily Claude enjoys picking apart a good mystery or two.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Claude.” Edelgard smiles gently at him as they shake hands. “I’ve heard much about you. Let’s do our best to get along.”

“Likewise, princess.” Claude casually says with a grin as he returns the handshake.

It’s pretty refreshing, he has to say, to find another soul like his. She’s good on the eyes too - dressed in red as though she were a rose in a garden of weeds.

( but roses have thorns, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to be pricked by them, so he keeps his distance. )

* * *

Well, he wouldn’t say he keeps his distance _entirely_. He really can’t, considering they’re both house leaders. He talks to her within the group, but not really one on one. She keeps her distance as well, which isn’t all that surprising. Edelgard seems like a girl who marches at her own pace and beat, so them speaking isn’t really an odd thing for him.

Claude’s cheek rests against the palm of his hand as Archbishop Rhea rambles on during her sermon. Technically, these aren’t mandatory, and he doesn’t have to attend, but his grandfather insisted that he attend and write to him about what he’s learned, because it would be _honoring_ his ancestor and all that jazz. He thought it would be easy to do, but it’s not.

In fact, it’s all _very_ boring and he’s ready to claw his eyes out. Or fall asleep, which ever one comes first.

But it would be utterly _rude_ to fall asleep in the middle of a sermon! So, being the _polite_ young man he is, the Riegan heir uses this chance to slip away. He’ll just ask Dimitri what it was about later. Quiet footsteps barely echo through the halls, though no one seems to look up. They’re rather engrossed in what Rhea has to say.

It’s kind of creepy, but he’s not going to trample on other people’s faith. He has his own, they have theirs, it’s no big deal.

( there’s something unsettling about the archbishop, however. her eyes aren’t warm or friendly like seteth’s or flayn’s. )

As soon as sunlight hits his face, Claude stretches his limbs and lets out a groan. Eyes closed, he enjoyed the warmth on his face as a gentle sigh of appreciation left his lips. His back was already sore from just sitting there. If these sermons were going to be a thing, he better start bringing a pillow to rest his back on, because those chairs are so uncomfortable!

“Claude?”

His mindless rattling about how uncomfortable the church’s benches were was interrupted by a soft yet firm voice. Emerald eyes open and glance over to find the source of it.

There stood Edelgard, arms crossed. Mauve eyes stared back at him, a tilt of her head. With a grin, Claude turned towards her fully, giving a two-finger salute.

“Morning, princess.” He greets casually, as though neither of them were future leaders of Fódlan. “Surprised to see you not attending the sermon.”

“Good morning to you as well,” nods Edelgard. At his comment, she simply shook her head. “I could say the same to you. I had thought I saw you go in with Dimitri.”

“Yeah, thought it would be fun but it’s not really my speed, y’know?” Claude laughs a little, running his fingers through his hair. “My grandfather told me I should attend, since it’s my _duty_ and all, but I could just read these things in books and get more out of them if I really wanted to.”

It’s preferred. No one wants to do things they don’t want to do. He’d rather just read and learn on his own.

“Besides,” he continues, “I’m a little more interested in respecting nature. The faith’s fine, but other people have their beliefs too. People should respect that.”

Emerald eyes glance back towards the Emperor. For a moment, he catches a glimpse look at a soft expression - something he’s never seen with her before. She always carried herself hard as steel, never faltering for anyone. But here, she was showing a different side than what she usually showed herself. However, her usual stoic and hard look was placed back on when she ( must have ) noticed him staring.

“Yes, I do agree with you there. Learning on your own, without the influence of others, is something I admire greatly. Respecting the cultures and beliefs of others is also favorable.” Edelgard glances around. “Unfortunately, it’s best to keep quiet about that. Not a lot of people think too fondly of those who do not share their views on Seiros’ teachings.”

Claude bites the inside of his cheek. It’s not just that; the church seems to have ears everywhere.

“Well, at least we’re both not out here alone.” The male says, before offering a hand towards the Emperor. “And since you don’t look too busy, how about you stay with me and accompany on a stroll? Or I could escort Your Highness to wherever she needs to go next?”

A part of him figures he would offend her, because a lot of nobles get offended by every little thing he’s realized now, but the huff and turn of her nose does not come.

Instead, she smiles gently. She doesn’t take his hand, but she does step next to him. “A generous offer from you? Now _that’s_ a surprise. What’s the catch, I wonder?”

“Hey now, I am the _kindest_ person you’ll ever meet. There’s _absolutely_ no catch here.”

“Oh, perhaps I was mistaken. I could have sworn I saw you mixing something in Seteth’s soup.” Edelgard hums as she rests her cheek against her palm in mocked thought and wonderment. “Strange how he got a stomach virus so _suddenly_.”

A laugh leaves Claude’s lips. “Could be a ghost making people sick. Did you know this place is haunted?”

“Haunted, now that’s a new one. Are you a ghost hunter when you’re not being a schemer?”

Their light banter continues as they both stroll down the path leading away from the cathedral. The warm spring sun gently shares its warmth with them, as a light breeze flows through the Emperor’s silk, light hair. Claude isn’t sure where they’re going to go or where they’ll end up, but he figures they’ll figure it out along the way.

* * *

“How frustrating…”

“Mumbling underneath your breath there, princess?” Claude leans back in his chair with arms crossed, emerald eyes gazing between Edelgard’s face and the chess board in front of them “Sounds like you’re ready to give up.”

“I am _not_ giving up.” The Emperor heir huffed. “This is nothing for me.”

Really, he hadn’t expected to get along with Edelgard after their first real conversation, but the past week certainly has suggested otherwise. Though she still remained somewhat distance emotionally, her company wasn’t bad to have. He found himself at her side more often than not. 

( though, that vassal of hers was starting to give him the stink eye more than ever now. what was his name - huey? henry? hubert? it was hubert, he recalled. )

Right now, the house leaders were left on their own while everyone else got ready for the school year to start, so Claude had offered her a quick game of chess to help past the time. One game turned into another, then another, then another - they’ve played a lot of games, to be short. Mainly because now they were tied in score and neither of them wanted to admit defeat.

Edelgard’s nose wrinkles a little in thought, her brows furrowed in deep thought. The pout on her lips was rather cute, Claude had to admit. To be fair, every little thing she did seemed to come off as cute to him, mainly because he’s never seen her like this before. She was always so uptight, always carry herself with her head high. He’d like to see more of this side of her, he thinks.

Finally, though, she managed to move her piece in a spot to stump even Claude, clear by the smirk on her face. So now, it was Claude’s turn to furrow his brow in thought.

“Didn’t expect that…” The Alliance leader mutters.

“Mumbling under your breath there, Claude? Sounds like you’re ready to give up.” He can hear the smugness in her voice!

“Don’t get so cocky, princess.” Claude tells her and moved his piece. “Otherwise, you’ll never win a battle.”

“How odd, just a minute ago you were talking about me giving up.” Dainty fingers pluck the chess piece and moved it to a space. She claims his pawn.

“Oh, but you were taking quite a long time moving your piece.” Speaking of which, he moves his piece. His pawn captures hers in retaliation. “I had thought you were ready to admit defeat.”

“Don’t get so cocky, Claude.” Edelgard hummed. “Otherwise, you’ll never win a battle.”

The two of them laugh gently. Emerald eyes watch the girl before him, watching as her fingertips pushed back light locks of hair behind her ear as she studied the board before her. She always looked so intense with people at times, always carried herself as hard as stone. A frightening Emperor she wanted to be - or so he assumed when he first met her. After all, it was better to present yourself as such in the wary case of potential enemies.

And yet, he wasn’t getting any of that here. She seems a little more relaxed here. Not all the way relaxed, but enough that he notices. It was nice to see, not because he thought she needed to smile more or something like that but maybe she looked a little too intense at time when she didn’t need to be. She wasn’t heir to an empire here, after all. Here, she could just be a normal student.

The battle went on - with Claude coming out victorious. Edelgard sighs and leans back in her chair.

“It seems like you’ve defeated me. Well done, Claude.”

Claude hums a little. “Well, I wouldn’t say it was a _sweeping_ victory. You trailed behind so closely, I thought you were going to one-up me.”

“I don’t like making things easy for my enemies.” The Emperor smiles at him. “Regardless, you’re a worthy opponent. I think you’ll make a fine leader one day.”

“Trying to butter me up after defeat?” Claude raises a brow teasingly. “That’s a pretty interesting strategy to use. Alright, Hubert’s in the bushes ready to assassinate me for winning, right? That’s the only way this could end.”

“Now you’re expecting me to tell you my strategy. Please, you should know a good tactician never reveals what they’re plotting.” Another chimed laugh escapes her lips. Mauve eyes glances towards the clock nearby, a sigh leaving her lips. “I suppose it is almost time for me to leave, unfortunately.”

There was a slight flicker of sadness in her eyes - it was only for a moment, but Claude could see it. It seemed like she didn’t really want to leave. He wouldn’t stop her if her business was important, but from the way she lingered maybe she could hold her business off for another hour. A sharp, inaudible intake of breath, the male quickly smirked at the girl. Before she could get up, he pours another round of tea in her teacup, causing her to stop in her tracks.

“Do you?” Golden Deer’s leader taps his fingers along the surface of the table. “We can have one more quick game. After all, you’re not going to leave knowing that I could prattle my victory to the other nobles here?”

The Emperor heir clicks her tongue for a moment, in thought, before she settles back into her seat with closed eyes and an overexaggerated sigh.

“Yes, I suppose that would be bad.” Eyes opening, Edelgard smiles at him. “Alright, one more game.”

Claude smirks as he reassigned the board once more. One more game it is. Whether she sees it’s another scheme of his, she keeps her knowledge sealed between her lips.

* * *

Damn bandits. It’s _always_ bandits that ruin everything.

He’s not sure if this is some weird test to _‘test the strength of their bonds with his classmates’_ or something, but something tells him that it’s probably not and that they all need to _go_. Otherwise they’ll all die here, and Claude wasn’t going to have that.

So that’s why he’s the one who makes a move first. If he can distract them long enough, everyone else can get away. As for him? Well, he’ll deal with that fact once he knows everyone else is safe. 

After all, they’re probably after one of the three. He’ll be the scapegoat, as always.

“Don’t follow me,” he says through grit teeth, to Edelgard and Dimitri.

“What?!” Edelgard hisses. But she doesn’t get an answer. The Alliance heir is a fast sprinter; it only takes him a minute to dive deeper into the woods they’re in.

Claude barely hears one of the bandits calling. “Hey! The brat’s getting away!”

Arrows whisk past him, the shots terrible and if Claude wasn’t running for his life, he’d make a smug comment about how he’s a better shot than literal grown men. At the very least, he stops for a safe moment in order to get his own bow and arrow out. He thinks it’s safe. But it’s not. Lucky for him, the sound of an arrowhead hitting metal pulls him from his work.

In front of him is Edelgard with her axe in hand, and before her is a broken arrow and one of the bandits. Emerald eyes flicker between the two. He’s not sure if he’s seeing right, but the bandit seems confused. Maybe because he was so sure there was only one that he had to deal with.

At least, that’s what Claude thinks.

But he doesn’t waste any more time with thoughts. Quickly loading an arrow up, he barely takes a second to fire back. The bandit, in his confusion, doesn’t move out of the way in time. It hits him in the shoulder and a strangled yelp leaves his lips. That’s their cue to keep running, and so they do.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Claude lectures her as they round the corner.

“I’m not going to let them hurt you,” hisses the Emperor heir.

“Cool, but I told you _not_ to follow me.”

“Well, I _did_. It’s too late for me to turn back.”

Before Claude could say anything else, Edelgard grabbed his hand and pulled him down the path. It’s almost like she knows where they’re going to pop out next, but maybe Claude is overthinking it. Edelgard isn’t an idiot; she’s as tactically advised as he is. Maybe she’s just calculating and guessing what’s going to happen next.

Maybe.

“Edelgard, Claude!” Dimitri’s voice breaks through the dawn, causing both of them to stop in their tracks. The prince joins up with them, pale blue eyes looking ahead.

Claude lets out a groan. “Didn’t I say--”

“Yes, not to follow you. However, I couldn’t stop myself when I saw Edelgard run after you.” The two glances between each other, almost uncomfortably, but Dimitri refocuses his gaze back towards Claude. “There’s a village up ahead. Surely there are mercenaries stationed there that we can ask for help.”

He doesn’t wait for the two to answer, jogging up ahead. Edelgard glances at Claude’s face before her eyes drift downwards towards their laced fingers. 

“Right, let’s go.” Slowly, she lets go of his hand - not quickly, as though she was disgusted by it, but reluctantly, as though she doesn’t want to let go of it. The warmth from her hand disappears from his, as the Imperial princess makes her way down the path.

He watches her, almost wanting to grab at her swinging hand once more. But he resists the urge and simply follows the two. Claude’s fingers wrap around the air that’s left of her. Her hand was surprisingly soft, despite the years of handling an axe. He’d like to hold it again, one day.

* * *

The school year was becoming interesting, if only because the buzz about Professor Byleth Eisner had started to grow.

Honestly, Claude hadn’t expected the mercenary who just about single-handedly defeated the group of bandits that attacked them to become their professor - even Seteth had been surprised by the Archbishop’s action. Not only that, but he hadn’t expected them to choose _his_ class to teach. He could understand if they chose the Black Eagles or the Blue Lions, since they clearly had more potential in the eyes of academia, but that wasn’t the case. They had chosen to teach his class.

To be fair, they were a little less difficult than the other two classes. Just a little bit.

Claude says that, but he still finds himself lingering near the Black Eagles classroom after class ends. To the others, he has house leader business to do with Edelgard and they simply don’t question it ( though, he does notice a few interesting reactions from a certain few - Dorothea gives him a knowing smile when she passes him and when Edelgard shoos Hubert away, her vassal simply glances dismissively at Claude ).

“I’m almost jealous they chose you,” says Edelgard suddenly. Barely sitting on the edge of a desk, she crosses her arms. “Professor Eisner’s choice of class has certainly caused some whispering among peers. A mercenary who single handedly saved the three future leaders of Fódlan… Many of them had wished that they had chosen their respective classes.”

“It’s not that exciting.” Claude just waves it off with a shrug. “They probably chose us because we have a bunch of slackers. I bet Rhea _begged_ for them to take us off her hand.”

The Emperor heir hums at his answer. “You know, you play the slacker role rather well, but I know that’s not how you really are. You’re smart, Claude, but you cannot fool me for so long.”

“Keeping a watch on little ol’ me, princess? Flattery will get you _somewhere_.” A smirk makes its way on his face. He steps a little closer to her, brow raised in her direction. “You’re being awfully nice right now. What do you want?”

“Can’t I simply be nice without _wanting_ something?” Edelgard huffs, a slight pout on her lips. “Anyway, you should actually apply yourself in the classroom a little more. If Dimitri is able to, then you can as well.”

_Dimitri_. It’s not that Claude is _jealous_ of whatever relationship these two have, but he can’t help but sigh a little once the name leaves her lips. He’s really unsure how Edelgard feels about him, but the prince seems to always be looking in her direction. Edelgard has never mentioned ever knowing Dimitri beforehand, but there’s something in Dimitri’s eyes that suggests otherwise…

( he says he’s not jealous, but there is a part of him that’s a little glad that edelgard seems the least interested in him. )

“Alright, since you asked so nicely, I guess I’ll start applying myself a little more.” Claude sighs once more, closing his eyes. He opens one, that emerald hue of his gazing into her soft mauve ones. “How’d you know I wasn’t applying myself anyway? You’re not speaking to teach behind my back, are you?”

A smile curls at the end of her lips as she pushes herself off from the desk she was leaning on. Claude practically hitches his breath when he feels fingers brush against his shoulders - almost tenderly, but he’s not sure if that’s what it is. It’s tender, and yet there’s something vaguely threatening how close they seem to be near his neck.

( but, claude would be lying if he says that doesn’t excite him just a little bit. )

“You weren’t entirely wrong,” starts Edelgard, “when you implied that I was keeping an eye on you.”

Claude is then left standing there in a classroom that doesn’t belong to him, as her footsteps and his heart echo in his ears.

* * *

The mock battle ends in triumph for Golden Deer, but Claude easily shrugs the victory off. He’s more interested in what’s planned _after_ that.

It was decided that the best way to celebrate a victory - and to drown out the shame of defeat - was to have a big feast. It had started out as just the Golden Deer house, but the other houses decided they wanted to join in as well. You know, to celebrate and toast to a good school year. Despite the Officer’s Academy being a military school, it tends to be quiet and not all that exciting - at least, according to Hilda, from what she learned from her brother.

Still, Claude can’t help but feel like this year will be interesting. Not only from the sudden appearance of Byleth, but three future leaders of Fódlan all attending at the same time? Something is bound to happen.

And maybe it will, in the kitchen. Edelgard had offered to help Claude with the preparations. Dimitri offered as well, though he decided to take care of actually setting things up while the two worked on making some food. Edelgard had offered to take desserts off his hands.

“I’m sure Lysithea will be glad to know there’s some sweets to gouge herself on.” Claude remarks as he watches her whisk away at homemade batter.

“That’s one of the reasons I offered,” The Emperor heir responds, barely looking up at her work. “I knew she was going to try and sneak in the library and just not celebrate with us, so I _may_ have bribed her a little with pastries.”

“Ha, and you say _I’m_ always scheming!” The male laughs a little, to which Edelgard offers a slightly mischievous smile before joining in with her own soft giggles. When the giggles die down, he continues. “Still, I didn’t know you knew how to bake. That’s surprising.”

Edelgard’s so focused on her work, though she does hum in response. “I used to do it all the time in my childhood. I did it with my mother, and then my older sister.”

“Older sister? I didn’t know you had any siblings.”

Her movements stop so suddenly. Claude notices how tightly she grips onto the whisk in her hands. Her knuckles practically turn white from it. However, the intense emotion quickly fades away, and Edelgard loosens her grip on the handle.

“I don’t,” her voice is low - not threatening, but still enough to make someone worry. “Not anymore. She died a long time ago.”

The silence that passes is uncomfortable. It’s only a few seconds, but it feels like the longest seconds Claude ever had to sit through. Edelgard’s eyes don’t look up from her work, and she seems to work more intensely now. 

Emerald hues never leave her sight at all, studying her a little too much and too long. Edelgard was a mystery - and Claude knew all about mysteries - but she was a hard one to crack. Even in the blistering sun, the Emperor heir never seemed to want to wear lighter clothing, even when given the option to change into the school’s summer uniform. She had a fear of rats that went beyond just disgust for them. And whenever they went down in the dark basement to pick something up together, Edelgard’s fingers always gripped at his clothing to steady herself.

He wants to ask her about it all. He wants to find everything out about her. For his own advantage, in order to help her? He’s not sure which one it is. Maybe it’s one or the other.

Maybe it’s both.

“Oh, princess,” Claude manages to get her attention. Licking the pad of his thumb, he swipes it along her cheek, an inch away from the edge of her pink lips.

Edelgard jumps slightly. “C-Claude?!” Her entire face goes red in a second, a sight unbefitting for someone of her nature. Claude practically keels over in laughter.

“You had flour on your face!” He wheezes in between laughs. “But, y’know, seeing that look on your face was worth it.”

He won’t worry about what he wants regarding Edelgard’s past, for now at the very least. In due time, but right now, he feels as though he should help take some weight off her shoulders.

He barely dodges Edelgard throwing flour at him. It gets him in his hair, but at least he managed to avoid getting it on his face. When he looks up, he sees Edelgard standing there with flour in her hand and a smirk on her face.

“I’ll make you pay for that,” she tells him. It’s almost threatening and maybe if they were on a battlefield soaked in blood, he would be more terrified of her. Instead, Claude simply returns the grin and scoops up some flour as well.

“Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try!”

Luckily, the battlefield they’re currently on is a kitchen floor, and instead of axes and bows, their weapon of choice is flour.

When Byleth and Dimitri check up on them, the kitchen is a mess and the heir and duke are covered in flour. Edelgard tries to apologize for her behavior, but Claude instead opens his arms and chases Dimitri around the kitchen to try and get him covered in flour too. He catches a glimpse of the girl trying to hold in her giggles, and he feels lighter than air.

* * *

“Lysithea? Are you in here?” Claude’s voice echoes off the library’s walls. It’s usually empty around this time of day, but he always knows that a certain tiny classmate of his was always hanging around here.

He finds her, though he finds another person with her. Edelgard is speaking to her, giving her a few books. His good eyesight spots that these books aren’t the usual ones that Lysithea reads. They’re a lot simpler, clearly ones meant for children.

The two girls take notice of Claude standing there.

“Oh, Claude.” Lysithea greets her house leader with a nod. “Did you need something?”

“Yeah,” answers the male. “Teach wanted to remind you about your tea party with them tomorrow. Something about talking about your certificate examination coming up.”

“Oh, _shoot!_ I almost forgot!” The younger student gasps out. “I got so caught up with helping Cyril with these books…”

“Wait, Cyril?” 

The boy who was taken in by Rhea. He’s Shamir’s apprentice of course, but the male works directly under Rhea when Shamir’s not teaching him how to use a bow. It’s not that Cyril is a friend of Claude’s but, well, they do have a connection that no one knows. Not even Cyril himself.

And he plans on keeping it that way, for now.

Lysithea already has her back against the door to push it open. “Thanks, Edelgard! These will work perfectly. I’ll buy you some sweets as repayment!” 

The door clicks behind her, leaving Claude and Edelgard alone together.

“-- And she’s gone. Man, she’s like Flayn at times.” Claude looks over at the Emperor heir with a grin. “It’s kind of cute that they’re reading together. Didn’t know that he was interested in books.”

“... That’s because he’s _not_.” Edelgard’s lips are pursed in a thin frown, brows furrowed slightly. The expression makes Claude worry.

“He’s not? Then why are they having these reading dates together?”

“He can’t _read_, Claude.”

Oh. The simple books, Lysithea having a pile of them in her arms - it all clicks for him.

“He can’t...” Claude barely repeats the words. Cyril didn’t know how to read? That’s strange. Shamir was his instructor, sure, but was she in charge of all of that? They mostly did archery training together whenever he saw them together. He doesn’t see them in the library at all.

It leaves him feeling uncomfortable, though.

Looking up and pulling himself away from his own thoughts, Claude watches Edelgard pace back and forth, her face still scrunched up in a slightly distressed look.

“Edelgard?”

“She takes him in, promises to give him a better life - but she doesn’t teach him the basics of reading or writing? She _only_ teaches him how to _pray_.” The Emperor heir mumbles under her breath, though it’s loud enough for the Alliance heir to hear. 

Finally, she stops and looks up at Claude. “He’s _Almyran_, Claude. Do you know what that means?”

“Almyra doesn’t worship the goddess.” Claude finds his lips replicating Edelgard’s.

“It’s _dubious_,” says the girl, fingers curled up in a fist. “Rhea isn’t one to simply forget to teach someone how to read. If she didn’t have time, she would have had Shamir teach him. But she’s not. Why? _Why is she not teaching him_?”

Edelgard is not close to Cyril, not by a longshot. Cyril seems to look at Edelgard with some worry on his face, Claude notices. But clearly, his lack of education is disturbing to her. And, well, it’s disturbing to Claude too - for various reasons. 

It’s not right; even if Cyril has a better life here, that doesn’t mean he should be completely washed of his culture and heritage. It should be respected and celebrated.

The more he watches Rhea, the more distrustful of her he finds himself becoming.

Claude steps forward and puts a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “He’s learning now, right? It’s better late than never. I get it, though. It’s worrisome. It’s really not right.”

The girl sighs, rubbing her temples with her fingers. “She can only use the will of the goddess as an excuse for so long, Claude. She wouldn’t use it for something like this, would she?”

“I know, and I don’t know how long she plans on doing this…” Claude gently pulls her to look at him, a gentle smile on his face. “But at least Cyril has people who care about him here. I’m sure Lysithea will be a good teacher to him in the upcoming years.”

“Lysithea…” Edelgard repeats her name. At first, she shakes her head, but it quickly fades into a nod. “Yes, right. She will be a wonderful teacher to him. In the upcoming years.”

Silence fills the library. They say nothing more to each other, but Claude stays with her. His gentle rubs on her shoulder calms her down, and she manages to look up at him with a sad smile tugging at the corner of her lips. After a while, they leave the library together. 

Claude’s late for his _‘appointment’_ with Lorenz, but it doesn’t matter to him. Edelgard’s expressions are burned into his mind, like hot iron against skin.

* * *

The gentle chirps of the crickets ease his troublesome thoughts. It’s peaceful, at the Goddess’ Tower, though not because he finds comfort in the faith. No, it’s just nice and quiet while everyone is out at the actual ball. 

Really, he didn’t mind parties all that much, but parties like these were dry and boring. Just nobles who wanted to get in favor with each other and using the chance now to do so. It was all very fake to him - in a bad way.

After watching Teach make their way down the steps and back to the ball, Claude’s eyes glanced back at the moon above. He told Byleth to go on ahead and that he’d be back in a few minutes, he just wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet for a few more minutes. Then, he’ll make his way back and mingle with nobles who glance at him from the corner of their eyes and turn away from him.

Lovely, really. Diplomatic relations were draining at times, but it was better than going to war and killing.

“Claude?”

A familiar voice pulls him from his thoughts. Edelgard must have made her way up the stairs while he was deep in thought.

“Princess,” greets Claude with his usual two finger salute. “Here to escape the many nobles who wish to gain a favor in your court. Or marriage proposal - which ever one comes first.”

“Very funny,” Edelgard tries to laugh, but her expression says it all. “I suppose lying to you gets me nowhere, since you see right through that. Considering almost everyone is in the ballroom, I figured escaping here would make for a nice, short break.”

“Looks like we’re on a similar path.” Claude grins.

“A similar path…” Edelgard repeats the words. Eventually, she finds herself next to Claude. “I do find us to be like one another, at least more so than I am with Dimitri. To be honest, I didn’t think I would find someone like me here.”

“Someone like you?”

“Not blindly following others.” The Emperor their answers. “You cut your own path, Claude.”

The Alliance heir shrugs his shoulders, leaning back against the stone railing of the tower. “Can’t really get what you want if you blindly follow others, right? Sure, I admire Dimitri as a person, but I don’t think he’s going to get anywhere with his current mindset.”

Him and Dimitri were similar, in that they would avoid unnecessary bloodshed if they were able to, but Dimitri would rather work on the inside to make changes, and Claude wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Sure, it avoided bloodshed, but someone like Dimitri would be good to use - just make empty promises to him and he’ll do whatever he can to make those promises happen. He knows they would stoop low like that; he knows how scheme-y nobles can be.

After all, he learned to out scheme them.

“I admire you. Claude.” Edelgard smiles gently once more. “You’re a good man, despite your obnoxious schemes. You value people for who they are, not for the crest they bear or their status. I hope you remain that way, in the years to come.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, princess!” Claude feigns shock, laughing when Edelgard gently punches his shoulder. Looking back towards the moon real quick, emerald hues meet soft mauve ones.

“You know, speaking of years to come, we’re all going to meet up here in five years.” He smiles at her. “You should come too. I’ll even ask Dimitri if he wants to come along.”

“Meeting in five years…” The light-haired woman hums at that. “Perhaps I’ll take you on that offer. I wonder how much we’ll grow in such a short amount of time.”

“Maybe you’ll grow taller.” Another punch to his arm, which earns another laugh from the both of them. Straightening himself up, Claude gently holds out his hand towards Edelgard. “Anyway, enough of the future and cutting paths - why don’t we share a dance before we head back?”

“A dance, _here_?”

“Yeah, why not?” A shrug of his shoulder. “I’m pretty romantic, aren’t I?”

“I don’t know about _that_, von Riegan.” Edelgard shakes her head with a laugh. However, she does take his hand with hers. “However, I will not deny a quick dance with you.”

His smile beams, bright like the moon above them. In the dark together, they dance with one another. The only music that’s made is the step of their feet and the beating of their hearts.

“I saw you and Edelgard enter back in together.” Dimitri stands at Claude’s side with a glass of champagne in his hand.

Claude’s eyes follow Edelgard’s movements as she dances with Ferdinand. “We ran into each other on the way in. Is that so strange?”

“No, I suppose it’s not.” The prince answers, his eyes following Edelgard’s movements as well. “But I have noticed you two spend quite a lot of time together outside of classes. I wouldn’t have expected you two to be friends. Though, perhaps _friends_ is a little too weak of a word to use for you two...”

Claude only shrugs his shoulders a little. Truthfully, he has noticed it himself; he just didn’t think much of it until now, however. Edelgard could easily shoo him away, but she doesn’t. She welcomes his company, their banter is fun rather than the venom she seems to spit at Dimitri ( and even then, it wasn’t anything harsh, but Claude feels like she’s a lot nicer with him than she is with the prince ). Still, Dimitri doesn’t need to know how Claude feels about Edelgard - that was _his_ business and _his_ business alone, and there was no way he was going to tell him anything. He looks over at Dimitri, a grin on his face.

“Is my self-proclaimed rival a little jealous?” He teases, the grin growing when Dimitri huffs at him. “I don’t really plan on becoming your rival in love, so if you want me to back off, I can.”

Dimitri shakes his head. “No, it’s – it is _nothing_ like that. I’m not going to have this conversation with you if you’re not going to be serious.”

Claude shrugs again, a hum of amusement leaving his lips. At least he’ll back off for now. He exchanges a glance with Edelgard as she and Ferdinand spins past. A smile makes its way onto her face, giving a small nod towards Claude. He returns it, with a smile and a small wave.

He could probably fall in love with her, he thinks.

* * *

Things change, with the death of Captain Jeralt. Things feel different. 

The air is somber around them. It’s a lot quieter than usual. The mess hall, once bustling with life, feels like a last meal every time he sits down. Golden Deer does whatever they can to help make Byleth feel better, and eventually they start to smile a little more. Still, it does very little to help their overall feeling around them.

And to add onto to it is the mystery of where Edelgard keeps running off top.

Claude asks Dimitri at first, but the prince doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what he’s even talking about, so that’s a bit of a bust. The Black Eagles students don’t seem to understand either, not even Ferdinand.

“I’m sure whatever she is doing, it’s nothing too significant.” Ferdinand says with a crooked frown. “My father would have told me, otherwise.”

Not helpful in the slightest.

One day, Hubert pulls him aside, just as Claude is about to leave the Black Eagles’ classroom.

“I’m not sure what you’re planning, but it’s best to stay _out_ of Lady Edelgard’s affairs.” His voice is venomous, matching the wicked smile on his face. “You are _not_ special to her. It’s in your best interest to stop pretending like you _are_.”

His words tug at his heartstrings a little more than he wants to admit, but Claude masks is with a grin and a raise of his hands.

“Boy, touchy today, aren’t we?” The Alliance heir snickers. “Just wanted to see how she was doing, that’s all. Don’t be jealous because she seems to like to spend a little more time with _me_ than _you_.”

He flees before Hubert has a chance to retaliate. He’s _very_ good at fleeing.

He finds Edelgard late at night at the pier, with a full moon hanging before them. She stands on the dock, mauve eyes cast downwards and clearly deep in thought. Most people were polite enough to not interrupt someone like this, but Claude wasn’t exactly the politest person out there to begin with.

“Hey.”

And when he was worried about someone he cared for? Well, he wasn’t one to hesitate.

Claude’s voice pulls Edelgard’s eyes away from the gentle waves of the water. She’s silent, finally turning her body full around to face him.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Didn’t think I’d see you at all this week.” Claude hums as he steps forward. “Got something you had to do outside of the school?”

“I have my duties, as you have your own.” The Emperor heir says. Even under the moonlight, it was clear that lack of sleep had overtaken her quite a bit. “And just like you, I have my own dreams to achieve. I can’t sit idly and let it slip away from me.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence that passes by them. Claude clicks his tongue a little, before a hand reaches out to gently brush some of the hair away from her face. It startles Edelgard for a moment, mauve eyes widening at the affection.

“You said something about our dreams interfering with one another,” The male starts to say, his fingers pinching the ends of Edelgard’s light locks between his thumb and pointer finger. “But I feel like that can’t happen, that our dreams are similar to each other.”

“Perhaps you are right.” Edelgard says quietly.

“Then why don’t we help each other?”

“We can’t.”

“But why not?” Claude grits his teeth. “I know I joked about you never telling anyone anything, but this is pushing it, princess.”

“_Because you’re a good person, Claude_!” Edelgard finally blurts out, gritting her teeth in return. She looks down at her feet. “You are too good of a person to do the things I would ever do.”

Another moment of silence. The fact that Edelgard hasn’t left yet tells Claude that she has more to say to him. So, he steps forward again, His other arm gently touches her, fingers running up and down it. There are grooves in her skin that’s not from the uniform. It feels like cuts and scars.

With a breath, Claude pushes the sleeve up. Edelgard holds her breath in.

Her arms are covered in faint scars, though still noticeable by touch. His fingers trail over them silently, the Emperor heir frozen underneath his touch. Perhaps she expects him to be disgusted, or shocked. But instead, he looks up at her with sympathy.

“Who did this to you?” His voice was quiet.

Edelgard swallows. “It’s hard to blame a specific person. It’s the people who are the reason I can’t accept your help. But perhaps I would not be like this if it wasn’t for the world we live in.”

There’s nothing more that can be said. Claude doesn’t understand what she means. He doesn’t understand the meaning of her words, fully at the very least. Like Edelgard will never fully understand Claude’s own pain, he will never fully understand hers.

But he knows they both want the same thing. But, for some reason, she can’t seem to let him in. It hurts more than he wants to admit. It confuses him, it hurts him. 

For once, Claude wished things were simple, instead of a mystery that he must pick apart before it’s too late.

“I’m going to get revenge for the professor,” Edelgard whispers. “Their father shouldn’t have died.”

“And after that?”

“I’ll continue moving forward.” She says, with a glance up towards him. “And I hope that you’ll achieve your dream as well.”

He’ll take that for now.

Their first kiss is shared underneath the moonlight, on the docks. It’s not very romantic, but it’s a start.

( the next bit is a little hazy. he knows they didn’t do anything, but he’s still surprised to find her sleeping next to him in his spare pajamas. nevertheless, when she tries to get out of bed, he wraps his arms around her waist and gently pulls her back in. he whispers for her to stay with him.

surprisingly, she does, not before whispering against his lips that she wished this moment could last forever. )

“What do you plan on doing after you graduate?”

It’s been a few days since their encounter at the docks, and Claude has been spending as much time with her as he can. She’s been doing the same as well. Secret kisses between classes, sneaking off to the gardens to simply bask in each other’s presence - they did their best to hide it, but they were probably obvious to a few who were very observant people. It’s not like Claude _wants_ to hide it, but it’s for the best right now.

Edelgard looks up from her book. Claude lays next to her, face buried against the crook of her neck, his words vibrating against her skin. His arm is thrown over her waist as fingers rub gently into her hip.

“Depending on if the empire needs me, I will probably ascend to the throne.” She says, eyes glancing back on the words on the page. “But for now, I will be doing what I can to help my father.”

“Do you think you’ll be Emperor by our five year reunion?”

“More than likely, yes.”

Silence filled the room. Though Edelgard turns back to her book, she eventually decides to close it and set it off to the side after a few minutes of pretending to read. Her hand goes to his locks, running her fingers through it, and the Alliance leader lets out a small purr of appreciation as he buries his face against the crook of her neck again.

“It’s nice being like this,” admits Edelgard with a smile.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Claude lifts his head up. “How about after we graduate and we’re both not rulers yet, why don’t we travel around a little bit? Just us two.”

“Just us.” Edelgard repeats. “No Dimitri this time?”

“No offense, but I don’t want princey crashing in on our date.”

The Emperor heir laughs at that, but then falls silent. “Do you think… we’d be able to do that? I am sure the Alliance needs you as well.”

“My grandfather has five more years in him, he’s not looking to hand the throne over just yet.” The male shrugs his shoulders. “Besides, I already talked to Lorenz about it. He told me he’d cover for me for a year but after that, he _expects_ me to be back.”

It was easy to win Lorenz over by spinning this grand tale of traveling the world with someone he loved. Which, well, wasn’t all that far from the truth but Lorenz didn’t need to know who he was talking about. Hilda already seemed to have an idea; she had pulled Claude over to warn him that she was going to break his heart one way or another.

Maybe she was right. A smart tactician would think with his head, but Claude wants to think as a teenager for once in his life.

The white-haired girl shifts a little. “Alright, I suppose that should be fine. Where do you want to take me first?”

“How about Almyra?”

“Almyra?” A hum of interest. “Why there first?”

“No reason in particular.” He whispers into her soft skin. “Well, maybe there’s something, but I’ll save that for when we travel there.”

She’s quiet for a moment, but finally Edelgard laces her fingers with Claude’s and gives them a gentle squeeze. When he looks up, she smiles a little sadly at him, as though there’s something on her mind.

“I am not good at keeping promises,” she warns him. “However, I will do my best for you.”

A smile tugs at the end of his lips, as he leans in and gently kisses her. The future was still faraway; they had all the time in the world together.

* * *

It’s five years since Edelgard starts her war on the church.

He had seen something like this coming, to be fair. It was never a surprise that Edelgard made her enemy out to be the church. But it surprises him how _fast_ she launched it. He was hoping for more time to prepare for it, but it’s a little too late for past regrets. At the very least, things look up for them as Byleth returns to lead them once more.

A few others have decided to join them as well, Dorothea being one to them. Though she admires Edelgard’s decision to go against a system that has hurt so many, she finds her way of doing things to be distasteful.

“Of course, I still care about her,” tells Dorothea as she tends to the plants in the greenhouse. “In fact, if there’s some way we all can be friends after this…”

Claude says nothing. He doesn’t need to tell her that such a thing isn’t a possibility; Dorothea’s somber tone says enough. It’s just a simple dream she has, like the rest of them.

Unfortunately, it’s an unrealistic dream. They can’t go back to the way things were. It was too late for that. 

There was so many things Claude wished he had done different, things he wished he could change. Maybe things would be different if he pressed harder. Maybe things would be different if he got her to tell him all the things that happened to her from the start. He wants to believe that maybe he could have been able to change something. After all, he’s going to change the world now. He can’t doubt his steps from now on.

“Do you still love her?”

The future king sputters in response. “Where in the world did _that_ come from?!”

“Aha! So, you _do_!” It’s the first time he hears Dorothea laugh, in such a long time. “Come on, Claude. You and she weren’t exactly the _best_ at keeping that a secret. You two were pretty head over heels for each other. Something like this would make for a great, tragic opera. Oh, but they would probably exaggerate it, if this got out.”

“Give me a break.” Claude’s hand goes to cover his face. It burns from embarrassment, the blush highlighting his skin more now. He’s not going to admit that out loud to her, even though she does have it all figured out.

He does love her, still. He’d like to hold her again, shower her with affection, things she had never received before. 

But the more he wishes, the more the loves her, the more it hurts. He wished he didn’t still love her.

Because things aren’t the same anymore, and the closer they come to dawn, the more time betrays them.

“Claude?”

Claude looks up to see Cyril standing before him. The boy has grown into a fine man over the past five years, despite everything.

“Hey, Cyril.” The future king greets him with a smile. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah, actually.” Cyril falls silent after answering, but Claude is patient with him. Finally, he lets out a soft sigh. “I, um, need some advice. Every time Lysithea smiles at me, I feel like my heart wants to burst out of my chest.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” nods Cyril. “It’s kind of scary, though. I’m not dying, am I? I kinda don’t _really_ want to die.”

The words that fall from Cyril’s lips makes Claude want to burst out laughing right there. He covers his face to hide his amusement, though his body just shakes a little from the laughter that’s rattling inside. Of course, all of that doesn’t really help Cyril’s current mood all that much.

“Oh, Goddess, I _am_ dying aren’t I?” The younger archer’s words are frantic.

“No, no… Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh.” Claude wheezes a little, removing his hand from his face and offering Cyril a smile. “No, don’t worry, you’re _not_ dying. Usually, stuff like that is normal when you have a crush on someone.”

“A crush?” Cyril ponders that. “So, what you’re saying is… I like Lysithea romantically?”

The older male shrugs. “That’s up for you to decide. Look deeply in your heart, Cyril. Do you think you like her that way?”

It takes several minutes before Cyril has an answer. He looks deep in thought, fingers tapping at his chin for a moment, before he finally nods his head at the question. Claude isn’t surprised by that; he sees how much time they spend together. It reminds him of how he and Edelgard used to spend all their time together.

“Yeah, I like her that way.” The archer says with a smile on his face. “I think after the war is over, I’m gonna tell her that.”

“Atta boy,” Claude grins and pats him on the shoulder. “Man, everyone’s growing up right under my nose. You’re not the first one to tell me they have plans on confessing after the war is over. I’ll have a ton of weddings to go to in the future!”

Cyril just laughs and rubs the back of his neck nervously, though hazel eyes look right at his elder curiously. “You sure knew right away that I liked her, Claude. Like you felt this before, too. Do you have someone who makes you feel like that?”

Now, it’s Claude’s turn to be silent. Looking out towards the sunset on the horizon, he ponders Cyril’s question. Of course, he knows the answer to that. He knows the answer every time he closes his eyes at night. He sees a girl with light hair and soft mauve eyes, looking at him as they passed each other. He can still feel the weight of her body against his as they curl up underneath a lone tree together, or when they sneak off into each other’s rooms just to be with one another.

He sees the answer in the soft smiles she gives him. Looking back, it was obvious that he loved her from the start.

“Yeah,” Claude says with a smile on his face. “I do.”

Even if there are days he wished he didn’t, his heart still beats for her. It always will.

* * *

Claude delivers a message to the empire in secret, a few days after Dimitri’s death. An invitation for Edelgard to meet with him, secretly. The only person he tells is Byleth, who agrees to accompany him on his journey. They’re the only one he can trust with this, because anyone else would kill her on sight. 

Should Rhea still be alive, she will probably paint Edelgard as a demon when she returns while brushing the church’s secrets all under the rug. They did so in the past, they’ll do it again. He understands where Edelgard comes from, but he refuses to be brutal like her.

He’s not sure if she will accept his invitation, but he goes into the forest where they’ll meet, sitting against the trunk of the tree. Byleth stands off to the side, knowing that this is a meeting for the two and not for them. The forest is silent, the birds chirping being the only sound filling his ears.

“I didn’t think you’d actually be here.”

Edelgard’s voice causes him to open his eyes. He doesn’t see her at first, frantically looking around for her.

“I’m on the other side.” She tells him. He’s about to look, but she continues speaking. “Don’t look. They have eyes everywhere.”

Claude lets out a breath. “The people who are helping you on this conquest?”

“This has to be done, Claude.” A pause. “Why did you want to meet with me?”

“I want to know what’s going on.” He tells her, bluntly. “You could have told us. Teach, Dimitri, me - any of us. But you’re not telling us _anything_. We were friends, weren’t we? And the two of us were _more_ than that.”

It’s a dirty tactic, using their relationship like this, but Claude was never known for being clean with his schemes.

He hears fingers curling around the fabric of her dress. “There are things you will _never_ understand, Claude. Things you _can’t_ understand about my life, about what many of us have gone through, just like how I can’t understand the things you’ve gone through. But at the end of the day, the system we’re ruled by needs to be _abolished_. I cannot turn back now, not when I stand in a pool of blood.”

A pause, a defeated sigh following afterwards. “Even if I told you, would you have walked the path I cut forward with me? As I told you, you are too good of a person to do so.”

Claude grits his teeth, fingers gripping at the grass beneath him. He wants to yell at her, tell her that he _can_ understand if she just _tells_ him. But, she’s right about the last part. Could he walk the path that she walked? Could he abandon his own ideals and dreams to walk that very bloody path she paved?

“You can still surrender,” he offers her a way out. A saving grace, for the both of them. A desperate plea.

“Your dream of uniting Fódlan will end if you take my hand,” counters Edelgard. She’s right, and he hates that she’s right. A chuckle leaves her lips. “Besides, you know what will happen to me if I surrender. I will not live to see the dawn of the next day. I refuse to die like a coward.”

She refuses to die without standing for her ideals. If she surrenders now, she will have forsaken them. The future king understands this, better than anyone. He feels the same about his own ideals.

“Our dreams are crossing, but only one will survive.” Edelgard’s voice pulls him back to reality. “Should I somehow die by your hands, I’ll leave Fódlan’s fate to you. Use my cursed name to step forward towards your goal. If I am to be the villain in your story, _so be it_.”

Claude’s throat is dry. He can’t find the words to say to her. He can’t even nod or tell her that he will. Or at least, he’s having trouble finding the words to say. What do you even say to that? _‘OK, I will’_ seems to be so apathetic to her pretty much saying that she’ll die by his hands and that he’ll use her name to push forward. It should be easy to say, easy to confirm. But it’s just not. Confirming it outright would mean it’s permanent.

So, he confirms it in his own way.

“You’ve grown lovelier than ever.” There’s a smile in his voice.

He hears her laughing gently, so sweetly it makes his heart ache. “And you’re not so unfortunate yourself.”

She accepts his answer. 

  
They spend the rest of their visit in silence, simply enjoying the presence of another for one final time. Emerald eyes catch a quick glance of mauve hues when they part ways. If this was one of the romance novels that Seteth had used to throw away, they would run into each other’s arms crying, professing their love to one another, and leave the land never to be seen again.

“Are you prepared to face her?” Byleth asks him, finally breaking the silent walk back to their base.

“Edelgard has to die,” Claude firmly says.

But this wasn't some cheesy romance novel Claude used to read when he was younger. There was none of that here. 

Their story was going to end in tragedy.

* * *

If she is a crimson flower, then he is the wind that tears her petals off. It’s what she wants in the end. If she is not to win this battle, then she is more than satisfied to be used as a steppingstone for his own dreams. Her words echo through his mind, even now as he stands before her with Failnaught in his tight grip.

“Your path… lies across my grave.”

He wished it didn’t.

“It’s time for you to find the courage to walk it.”

He wished he didn’t have it.

“I wanted to walk with you, both.”

_Then why couldn’t she?_

It’s answers Claude will never receive. It’s answers that Claude will never find. Unanswered questions were always a pain to him, especially now. At the same time, did he have the courage to find out the truth? If he found it, would he even be satisfied with the answer, or will he just become angrier with her. He doesn’t want to remember her with anger. He wants to remember her fondly. 

The memories of spending all that time together plays in his head as the future king walks forward to her. Maybe he expects her to strike him down when he kneels in front of her, but she doesn’t. She simply stays there, head hung and too cowardly to look him in the eye.

“Hey now, not planning on stabbing me with a hidden dagger, are you?” His voice is light, as though he isn’t about to end this once and for all.

Edelgard laughs, shaking her head. “Even now, you have time to joke like this. Perhaps that’s what made me fall in love with you.”

“Aha, you love me. I knew it.” Claude laughs as well. “But you had my heart in your grasp from the very beginning. A shame that our Almyra trip isn’t happening. I think you would have loved my homeland.”

If the world had been different, they could have met with no secrets to burden them. Maybe they could have blossomed into something more. Maybe they could have united even more lands under a peaceful rule, a rule that did not care about beliefs of backgrounds.

And that is why he must do this. That is why he must kill her, so people like them could live without those secrets and pain.

Gently, Claude tips her head upwards and presses a light kiss to her forehead. If this was a fairy tale, then maybe he could be the knight in shining armor who breaks the curse she has over her and live happily ever after together.

But he is no knight and she is no cursed princess. She is the eagle that soars through the sky, and he is the arrow that shoots her down.

A gasp of pain leaves Edelgard’s lips as he twists the arrow in her. It’s painful to him, and yet she looks up at him with a smile through tears. He finds himself returning the sad smile, as a hand reaches for hers. Fingers lace together, he feels the weight of her body against his. He leans forward, to press his lips against her one more time, and to whisper against them for the last time.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make your dream come true too, El.”

He sees a gentle smile form on her face, and she closes her mauve eyes to never open them again.

He stays with her, until he can’t feel her breath against him. As he takes a deep breath, his voice shakes as though he’s about to cry. But he does not allow himself to cry. He does not allow himself to cry over what could have been. He cannot shed tears for the bloodstained emperor.

The light of dawn shines through the throne room, as time betrays them for one final time.


End file.
